


carve it in a tree, in the sidewalk with cement, on your arms

by thestarkinmypants (inlightofvisa)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 15:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/863411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlightofvisa/pseuds/thestarkinmypants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just tell her the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	carve it in a tree, in the sidewalk with cement, on your arms

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this gifset: http://obrozey.tumblr.com/post/54179602166/1x11-3x01  
> I was struck with the headcanon that unnamed Papa McCall did all of these things for Melissa while they were still together. Then real life happened, he left, and Scott was all that Melissa had.

Melissa meets Barclay McCall for the first time halfway through her first year of nursing school outside a bar, out of all places. She’d been on a girl’s night with a couple of her friends who had conveniently left her high and dry and without a ride because they were Great Friends. So closing time had found Melissa staggering around outside the bar, attempting to wave down a taxi.

“Dammit,” she curses, nearly tripping in her heels. She leans against the wall, tucking a curl behind her ears. “Stupid taxi driver is as blind as a bat.”

“You need help?” a voice says from her left. It’s a rich, buttery baritone that seems to purr its way lithely through the air to her ears. She suppresses a laugh.

“Me? Oh, no,” she says, waving dismissively. “I’ll be fine, it’s just these stupid taxi drivers are so damn blind.” She turns to face the voice, and is promptly knocked off her feet. Tall Glass of Water, for Melissa. On the house. She clears her throat nervously, tugging at her dress and giggling.

“Really,” the guy says, striding forward. His jeans fit snugly on his hips, red shirt two buttons undone and rolled up to his elbows.  Brown hair falls thickly across his head in waves. Melissa can’t tell if her face is burning because of the attractiveness or the alcohol. He holds his hand out for her. “Barclay. But you can call me Burke.”

“Melissa,” she says, propping herself heavily against the brick and extending her arm. “And you can call me Melissa.”

* * *

 

 Burke manages to find his way back into Melissa’s life several times after that. It might be because it’s something like fate, or because Melissa had drunkenly slipped him her phone number. She’s not too sure about what really went down that first night—all she’s certain of is that Burke shows up whenever he’s needed. By the end of February, Burke knows Melissa’s family members by name, along with her exes and her favorite color. And it’s not until the night where Melissa calls Burke to just talk that she realizes she’s in deep.

“Hey, what’s up?” Burke asks, picking up after a couple rings. “Last I remember, you don’t have an exam this week.”

“Oh,” Melissa says dumbly. “Yeah, you’re right.” She fiddles with her hair before straightening her t-shirt and repositioning how she’s lying on her bed. Correction, sprawling. “I guess I was bored.”

“You caught up on all your shows already?” Burke asks, voice incredulous. Melissa can just see his expression—eyes wide, mouth dropped open in shock. She laughs a little.

“Well, I mean, not exactly. I think I just wanted a bit more human interaction,” she says.

“Why not talk with Kim?”

Melissa closes her mouth, twirling her curls and thinking. And that’s when it hits her.

“Because I like talking to you,” she says slowly, feeling each word plunge into the mouthpiece of her phone and sinking all the way down the line into Burke’s ears. “You’re easy to talk to.”

It’s silent on Burke’s end of the line.

“Because Kim’s my roommate and she knows everything about me and it’s fun to talk to new people and sorta rediscover yourself,” she explains quickly, fumbling with the receiver. She holds her breath until a tinny, “You’re easy to talk to as well” comes through and she bursts out laughing.

* * *

 

The night after finals are done, he shows up at her apartment door. Kim gets to the door first because she’s a speedy bitch. And also because Melissa is bone-tired and is currently on the couch in sweats and a t-shirt doing some catching up on her television.

“Mel, it’s for you!” Kim calls, breezing through the living room and switching off the TV. “Says his name is Burke or something.” Melissa grumbles a bit, standing up slowly and dusting herself off. Burke looks at her shyly from the doorway.

“Can I come in?” he asks, running a hand through his hair. Melissa snorts softly, making a sweeping gesture with her arm.

“Mi casa es su casa,” she says before remembering that she doesn’t look presentable in the slightest. She starts to edge towards her room. “Um, can you wait out here? I need to change.”

“Why?” Burke asks, strolling easily through the foyer, past the kitchen (please oh _please_ let there not be any dirty dishes), and into the living room. “I think you look fine to me.”

Melissa huffs at him, turning her nose up in mock disgust. “I look like a slob. Don’t you tell me this is fine with you if it’s not _really_ fine with you.”

Burke laughs softly, jumping over the back of the couch and settling into it with a _poff_. “Well wear something you feel comfortable in, because we’re going to the park.”

 

Melissa ends up going to the park in her sweats and tee, stumbling down the sidewalk with Burke, hands bumping every so often.  

“So, why this sudden itching for the park?” she asks. Burke shrugs.

“I don’t know, I just… wanted to spend some time with you not on the phone,” he says, stopping in front of the swing set on the outskirts of the park. “Wanna swing?”

“Race ya,” she says slyly, sprinting for the nearest one. She jumps onto it and the momentum propels her forwards, giving her a slight boost. She whoops, pumping her legs vigorously. “Hey, c’mon Burke! Swing with me!”

Burke laughs, jogging over to snag the other swing and put it in motion. They’re able to get good air, laughing and screaming at the top of their lungs into the California night sky. Eventually, though, Melissa’s legs get tired and her swing slows to a stop. Burke’s shoes scrabble at the bark chips as he tries to get the swing to stop moving.

“Finally,” he says, gripping the chains a little too tightly as he stops. “That took forever.”

Melissa laughs into her hand.

“Hey,” she says, looking at Burke.

“Hey.”

“This was fun. We should do it again, since I’m going to be a bit freer during the summer.”

Burke grins at her from around the swing chain and extends his hand.

“We should,” he says, stepping out of the swing backwards. The moon casts a silvery light on his face, and his eyes seem to sparkle. Melissa takes his hand and lets him foist her off the swing chair. “Hey Melissa? I gotta tell you something.”

Melissa’s heart stops for a second while she tries to remember how to breathe.

“Sure,” she says, dropping his hand and facing him. Burke looks down at his feet, twisting his shoes in the bark chips.

“I think I’m in love with you,” he says quietly, punching his right hand with his left. Melissa blinks, feeling blood rushing to her cheeks.

“What?” she asks, stepping towards him.

“I think I love you, Melissa,” he says again, back rigid. Melissa launches herself at him in a full-body hug.

“Oh, good,” she says. “Because I think I love you too.”

 

They carve their names in a tree next to the swing set, right after their first kiss.

* * *

 

 There’s wet cement on the walk to Burke’s apartment the next week, so it’s only natural they write “Mel + Burke 4ever” in a heart. It’s for posterity’s sake.

* * *

Burke gets a tattoo of a heart with Melissa’s name in it the day after they get married. She kisses him hard and he laughs, slinging his shirt off across his room. The gauze pad rests heavily across his arm.

“Easy babe,” he says. “I’m fragile while this thing is healing.”

Melissa just laughs, kissing him again. Their relationship, she feels, is like the tattoo. It’ll last forever.

 

It doesn’t.


End file.
